Plug-ins are software programs that extend the capabilities of your Internet browser in a specific way. Not all browser plug-ins are harmful and some may be helpful. It is important to review the EULA of any browser plugin to make a determination of meeting enterprise standards or the standards for the home user.
Screenshots
Toolbar integrated into Internet Explorer.
Comment
AJ makes their own toolbar and has a number of related products including CursorMania,FunBuddyIcons, History Swatter, MyFunCards, My Mail Signature, My Mail Stationary, PopSwatter, Popular ScreenSavers, and Smiley Central. Most of these can be found on FunWebProducts.com website sometimes as seperate products but appear to all be components of the My Web Search Toolbar.
Installation is typically through ActiveX, pop up ads, and banner ads that send users to their own site for installation. It has also been documented the toolbar is frequently bundled with freebie applications like P2P applications or screen savers such as the Britney Bikini Screensaver or the California Bikini Girls Screensaver which are offered via 3rd party developers. There has also been reports of ActiveX installs through third party sites or Digital Rights Management protected Windows Media Player files.
Consumer confusion is even more likely as some of the various toolbars has been documented to be installed along side other adware products. A good example being Grokster, a P2P application, which spawns numerous installation attempts for a wide range of products like ShopAtHomeSelect, KVM Media, and SurfSideKick. Consumers may believe they must install these components to obtain the P2P product.
The AJ toolbar itself does not spawn pop-ups or appear to monitor browsing activity. From their website:
"Does the Ask Jeeves Toolbar track the web sites that I visit?
No. The Ask Jeeves Toolbar does not track the web sites that you visit. The only information that we are concerned about is the popularity of the Toolbar and of the different Toolbar features, e.g. how many people use each of the Toolbar features. This information is sent back to Ask Jeeves and stored in the AGGREGATE for all Toolbar users together. We use this information to determine how useful the Toolbar is to our users, in order to better serve you."
Thus it is not spyware. It does offer advertising in the form of contextual shopping choices and CPC-based text ads from searches however it does not spawn pop-ups.
It attaches itself to Firefox or IE depending on which you choose. Ask Jeeves has come under fire by anti-spyware experts due to questionable disclosure and distribution practices. One example being a bundle with the KaZaA P2P application where there is no prominent disclosure of the toolbar (in this case the Need2Find toolbar) beyond a single reference to the Need2Find Toolbar on the splash screen and later the actual EULA is deeply buried in the AltNet EULA. It is notable the actual EULA is not displayed to users only a link to the EULA. Another example would be the bundle with iMesh where there is mention of a "Third Pary Beneficiary", Ask Jeeves, Inc.
The toolbar has been observed to be installed along with other third party software samples that include: 180SearchAssistant, RXToolbar, TopSearch, GAIN, Cydoor, InstantFinder, SurfSideKick, ShopNav, IBIS, Aurora a.k.a. ABetterInternet and FlashTalk.
For more information referernce Ben Edeleman's site at:
http://www.benedelman.org/news/050205-1.html
" But that's not the worst of AJ's practices. Over the past six months, I've captured a series of videos showing Ask Jeeves' MyWay and MySearch software installed through security holes -- without notice, disclosure, or consent. For example, in a video I made on March 12, I received more than a dozen different programs including the Ask Jeeves MySearch toolbar -- without me ever requesting anything, and without me ever clicking "Yes" or "Accept" in any dialog box. Watch the video and see for yourself. Warning: The video is 16+ minutes long. Security exploit occurs at 6:00, and Ask Jeeves MySearch software is first seen at 15:50. In this same testing, I also received installation of 180solutions, multiple programs from eXact Advertising, the IBIS WebSearch toolbar, PeopleOnPage, ShopAtHomeSelect, SurfSideKick, WindUpdates, and many more. The underlying network transmissions show that the security exploit at issue was syndicated through the targetnet.com ad network -- Mamma Media, publicly-traded on Nasdaq Small Cap."
Also reference: Uneasy Rider
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8086560/site/newsweek/
In this article dated June 3, 2005 Ask Jeeves admits there have been rogue distributions but they have terminated those affiliate agreements. In the article Ask Jeeves also promises an uninstall button for consumers to easily remove the toolbar if they wish.
" For his part, Jeeves's Berkowitz reaffirms his campaign against the unsolicited downloads. He says Ask Jeeves is not only canceling contracts with affiliates but will add an uninstall feature directly to the MySearch toolbar, so you can kick the hitchhiker out of the car without resorting to the add/remove program option in the Windows control panel. "
Software appears to do a complete removal and does not attempt to resuscitate or resist removal.
Reference: Consumer reviews from Download.com regarding the AskJeeves.com SmileyCentral.com property:
